incommunicado (adj./adv.) Look up incommunicado at Dictionary.com
1844, American English, from Spanish incomunicado, past participle of incomunicar "deprive of communication," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + comunicar "communicate," from Latin communicare "to share, impart" (see communication).
incomparability (n.) Look up incomparability at Dictionary.com
c. 1500, incomparablete, "quality of being peerless," from incomparable + -ity.
incomparable (adj.) Look up incomparable at Dictionary.com
early 15c., from Old French incomparable (12c.) or directly from Latin incomparabilis "that cannot be equaled," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + comparabilis "comparable" (see comparable). Related: Incomparably.
incompatibility (n.) Look up incompatibility at Dictionary.com
1610s, from incompatible + -ity, or from French incompatibilité (15c.).
incompatible (adj.) Look up incompatible at Dictionary.com
"that cannot coexist or be conjoined," mid-15c., from Medieval Latin incompatibilis, from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + compatibilis (see compatible). Originally of benefices, "incapable of being held together;" sense of "mutually intolerant" is from 1590s. Related: Incompatibly.
incompetence (n.) Look up incompetence at Dictionary.com
1660s, "inadequacy;" 1716, "want of skill," from or modeled on French incompétence (16c.), from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see in- (1)) + compétence (see competence). Native formation incompetency is older (1610s).
incompetency (n.) Look up incompetency at Dictionary.com
1610s, from incompetent + -cy.
incompetent (adj.) Look up incompetent at Dictionary.com
1610s, "insufficient," from French incompétent, from Late Latin incompetentem (nominative incompetens) "insufficient," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + Latin competentem (see competent). Sense of "lacking qualification or ability" first recorded 1630s. The noun meaning "incompetent person" is from 1866. Related: Incompetently.
incomplete (adj.) Look up incomplete at Dictionary.com
late 14c., from Late Latin incompletus "incomplete," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + completus (see complete (adj.)). Related: Incompletely; incompleteness.
incompletion (n.) Look up incompletion at Dictionary.com
1780, "incomplete condition," noun of state from incomplete. In reference to football passes, by 1926.
incomprehensibility (n.) Look up incomprehensibility at Dictionary.com
1590s, from incomprehensible + -ity; perhaps modeled on French incompréhensibilité (16c.).
incomprehensible (adj.) Look up incomprehensible at Dictionary.com
mid-14c., from Old French incomprehensible or directly from Latin incomprehensibilis "that cannot be seized or appreciated," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + comprehensibilis (see comprehensible). Related: Incomprehensibly.
incomprehension (n.) Look up incomprehension at Dictionary.com
c. 1600, from in- (1) "not" + comprehension.
incomprehensive (adj.) Look up incomprehensive at Dictionary.com
1650s, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + comprehensive. Related: Incomprehensively.
inconceivable (adj.) Look up inconceivable at Dictionary.com
1630s, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + conceivable. Related: Inconceivably; inconceivability. An Old English word for this was unasmeagendlic.
inconclusive (adj.) Look up inconclusive at Dictionary.com
1660s, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + conclusive. Related: Inconclusively. Inconclusion is "rare," perhaps because it could mean either "reaching no conclusion" or "reaching an unwarranted conclusion." Related: Inconclusiveness.
incondite (adj.) Look up incondite at Dictionary.com
1630s, "ill-made," earlier "crude, upolished" (1530s), from Latin inconditus "disordered, uncouth," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + conditus, past participle of condere "put together" (see abscond). Applied from 1845 to natural utterances ("oh!") from Latin (vox) incondita.
inconducive (adj.) Look up inconducive at Dictionary.com
1729, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + conducive.
incongruence (n.) Look up incongruence at Dictionary.com
c. 1600, from Late Latin incongruentia "incongruity," from incongruentem (nominative incongruens) "incongruous, inconsistent," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + congruens (see congruent). Related: Incongruency.
incongruent (adj.) Look up incongruent at Dictionary.com
mid-15c., from Late Latin incongruentem (nominative incongruens), from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + congruens (see congruent). Related: Incongruently.
incongruity (n.) Look up incongruity at Dictionary.com
1530s, "quality of being incongruent," from French incongruité (16c.) or directly from Medieval Latin incongruitas, from Latin in- "not" (see in- (1)) + congruitas (see congruity). Meaning "that which is incongruent, an example of incongruency" is from c. 1600.
incongruous (adj.) Look up incongruous at Dictionary.com
1610s, from Latin incongruus "incongruous, inconsistent," from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see in- (1)) + congruus "fit, suitable" (see congruent). Related: Incongruously; incongruousness.
inconsequence (n.) Look up inconsequence at Dictionary.com
1580s, from Late Latin inconsequentia, from Latin inconsequens "inconsequent" (see inconsequent).
inconsequent (adj.) Look up inconsequent at Dictionary.com
1570s, "not following as a logical conclusion," from Latin inconsequentem (nominative inconsequens) "not logically connected, not resulting from what has preceded," from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see in- (1)) + consequens, past participle of consequi "to follow" (see consequence). Related: Inconsequently.
inconsequential (adj.) Look up inconsequential at Dictionary.com
1620s, "characterized by inconsequence;" 1782, "not worth noticing;" see inconsequent + -al (1). Related: Inconsequentially.
inconsiderable (adj.) Look up inconsiderable at Dictionary.com
1590s, "incalculable;" from 1630s as "not worthy of consideration or notice," from French inconsidérable (16c.), from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + considérable (see considerable). Related: Inconsiderably. OED has found an instance of the rare verb inconsider from 1697.
inconsiderate (adj.) Look up inconsiderate at Dictionary.com
late 15c., "done thoughtlessly, heedless, careless, indiscreet," from Latin inconsideratus "headstrong, unadvised," of persons, "thoughtless," literally "not properly considered," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + consideratus (see consider). Sense of "without regard for the feelings of others" is from 1842. Related: Inconsiderately.
inconsiderateness (n.) Look up inconsiderateness at Dictionary.com
1590s, "imprudence," from inconsiderate + -ness. From 1858 as "want of consideration for others."
inconsideration (n.) Look up inconsideration at Dictionary.com
1520s, "indiscretion, rashness, failure to consider," from Late Latin inconsiderationem (nominative inconsideratio) "inconsiderateness," from Latin inconsideratus "headstrong, thoughtless" (see inconsiderate).
inconsistency (n.) Look up inconsistency at Dictionary.com
1640s, "something which is inconsistent;" 1650s as "quality of being inconsistent," from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + consistency. Related: Inconsistencies. Inconsistence (1630s) is marked "Now rare or Obs." in OED.
inconsistent (adj.) Look up inconsistent at Dictionary.com
1640s, "not agreeing in substance or form;" 1650s, "self-contradictory," from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + consistent. Related: Inconsistently.
inconsolable (adj.) Look up inconsolable at Dictionary.com
1590s, from Latin inconsolabilis "inconsolable," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + consolabilis "consolable," from consolari (see console (v.)). Related: Inconsolably (c. 1500).
inconspicuous (adj.) Look up inconspicuous at Dictionary.com
1620s, "invisible," from Late Latin inconspicuus "not conspicuous," from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see in- (1)) + Latin conspicuus (see conspicuous). Weakened sense of "not readily seen or noticed" developed by 1828. Related: Inconspicuously; inconspicuousness.
inconstance (n.) Look up inconstance at Dictionary.com
late 14c., from Old French inconstance "inconstancy, instability" (13c.), from Latin inconstantia "inconstancy, fickleness," noun of quality from inconstans "changeable, inconsistent" (see inconstant). In English, inconstancy is now the usual word.
inconstancy (n.) Look up inconstancy at Dictionary.com
1520s of persons, "fickleness;" 1610s of things, "mutability, irregularity," from Latin inconstantia "inconstancy, fickleness," noun of quality from inconstans "changeable, inconsistent" (see inconstant).
inconstant (adj.) Look up inconstant at Dictionary.com
c. 1400, "fickle, not steadfast," from Old French inconstant "variable, eccentric" (14c.), from Latin inconstantem (nominative inconstans) "changeable, fickle, capricious," from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see in- (1)) + constantem (see constant). Related: Inconstantly.
inconsumable (adj.) Look up inconsumable at Dictionary.com
1640s in reference to fire; 1785 in political economy; from in- (1) "not" + consumable. Inconsumptible is from 1570s.
inconsummate (adj.) Look up inconsummate at Dictionary.com
"unfinished, incomplete," 1640s, from Late Latin inconsummatus "unfinished," from in- "not" (see in- (1) + consummatus "perfected, complete," past participle of consummare "sum up, to complete" (see consummation).
incontestable (adj.) Look up incontestable at Dictionary.com
1670s, from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + contestable (see contest (v.)). Perhaps from or modeled on French incontestable. Related: Incontestably.
incontiguous (adj.) Look up incontiguous at Dictionary.com
1650s, from Late Latin incontiguus, from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + contiguus (see contiguous). Related: Incontiguously; incontiguousness.
incontinence (n.) Look up incontinence at Dictionary.com
late 14c., "inability to restrain sexual desire, sexual immorality," later "inability to keep to a religious rule" (early 15c.), from Old French incontinence "lack of abstinence, unchastity" (12c.) or directly from Latin incontinentia "greediness; incontinence, inability to contain," noun of quality from incontinens "incontinent, immoderate, intemperate" (see incontinent). Meaning "inability to restrain bodily functions" is from 1754.
incontinency (n.) Look up incontinency at Dictionary.com
early 15c., "unchastity;" see incontinent + -cy.
incontinent (adj.) Look up incontinent at Dictionary.com
late 14c., "wanting self-restraint," from Old French incontinent (14c.) or directly from Latin incontinentem (nominative incontinens) "immoderate, intemperate, not holding back," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + continens (see continent (adj.)). Originally chiefly of sexual appetites. General sense of "unable to retain" is from 1640s; medical sense of "unable to control bowels or bladder, unable to restrain natural discharges from the body" is attested by 1828.
He was incontynent, and with fleschely lustes he consumyd alle his tyme. ["Speculum Sacerdotale," 15th century]
incontinently (adv.) Look up incontinently at Dictionary.com
early 15c., "immediately, without delay, at once," from incontinent + -ly (2). From 1550s as "unchastely;" in reference to bodily discharges from 1847.
incontrovertible (adj.) Look up incontrovertible at Dictionary.com
1640s, from in- (1) "not" + controvertible (see controvert). Related: Incontrovertibly; incontrovertibility.
inconvenience (v.) Look up inconvenience at Dictionary.com
1650s, from inconvenience (n.). Related: Inconvenienced; inconveniencing.
inconvenience (n.) Look up inconvenience at Dictionary.com
c. 1400, "harm, damage; danger; misfortune, affliction," from Old French inconvenience "misfortune, calamity; impropriety" (Modern French inconvenance), from Late Latin inconvenientia "lack of consistency, incongruity" (in Medieval Latin "misfortune, affliction"), noun of quality from inconvenientem (see inconvenient). Sense of "impropriety, unfitness; an improper act or utterance" in English is from early 15c. Meaning "quality of being inconvenient" is from 1650s.
inconveniency (n.) Look up inconveniency at Dictionary.com
early 15c., "calamity, injury, harmful consequence," also "danger" (now obsolete), from Late Latin inconvenientia (see inconvenience (n.)). Meaning "trouble, disadvantage, quality of being inconvenient" is from 1550s.
inconvenient (adj.) Look up inconvenient at Dictionary.com
late 14c., "injurious, dangerous," also "absurd, illogical" (senses now obsolete), from Latin inconvenientem (nominative inconveniens) "unsuitable, not accordant, dissimilar," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + convenientem (see convenient). In early 15c., "inappropriate, unbecoming, unnatural;" also, of an accused person, "unlikely as a culprit, innocent." Sense of "troublesome, incommodious, awkward" first recorded 1650s.
inconveniently (adv.) Look up inconveniently at Dictionary.com
mid-15c., "wrongfully," from inconvenient + -ly (2). Meaning "with trouble or discomfort" is from 1650s.